Religion has played a significant role in Black history, both in Africa and in the African diaspora. In Africa, traditional religions such as Yoruba, Akan, and Zulu spiritual practices have long been an important part of community life, with beliefs in spirits, ancestors, and natural elements shaping cultural values and traditions.

With the transatlantic slave trade and the forced migration of Africans to the Americas, Caribbean, and other parts of the world, African spiritual practices blended with Christian, Islamic, and other faith traditions. Enslaved Africans often adapted the religions of their captors, creating syncretic forms of worship that incorporated elements of their indigenous beliefs.

In the United States, Christianity played a significant role in the lives of enslaved Africans, providing them with a source of hope, resistance, and community. Many Black churches served as hubs for organizing social and political movements, including the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s led by figures such as Martin Luther King Jr.

In more recent times, Black religious leaders and communities continue to be at the forefront of social justice movements and efforts to address systemic racism and inequality. The intersections of race, religion, and social justice remain central to the experiences and struggles of Black people around the world.